WASHINGTON (AP) — The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place this Friday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with the aim of dividing the 48 teams into 12 groups of four.
The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams will advance to the knockout rounds. The largest World Cup in history adds a new Round of 16.
In a round-robin format, the 12 groups are designated Group A, Group B… and so on up to Group L.
Here’s how the draw works.
Seeding Pots
The 48 teams will be spread across four pots, each governed by the current FIFA ranking of the respective team — the ranking is shown in parentheses.
Pot 1 — Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9), United States (14), Mexico (15), Canada (27).
Pot 2 — Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), Korea Republic (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26).
Pot 3 — Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (60), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61).
Pot 4 — Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaçao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), UEFA Repechage A, UEFA Repechage B, UEFA Repechage C, UEFA Repechage D, FIFA Repechage 1, FIFA Repechage 2.
The United States, Mexico and Canada, the three host nations, were placed in Pot 1. That’s a significant edge because it helps them avoid landing in a group with multiple powerhouses. It has already been determined that Mexico will be in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the United States in Group D.
The novelty is a rule that prevents Spain and the defending champion Argentina from facing each other before the final if they top their groups, since both teams occupy the first two spots in the rankings. The same applies to England (3) and France (4).
Pending Selections
Six of the balls in Pot 4 do not correspond to any specific country yet. That’s because six slots will not be decided until March. Four European teams will qualify via UEFA playoffs, and the two additional FIFA playoff slots will bring teams from around the world to compete in matches hosted in Mexico.
The winner of UEFA Playoff A will be Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina; UEFA Playoff B will feature Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, and Albania; UEFA Playoff C will feature Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo, and UEFA Playoff D will feature Denmark, North Macedonia, Czech Republic, and Ireland.
New Caledonia, Jamaica and Congo will compete in FIFA Playoff 1, and Bolivia, Suriname and Iraq in FIFA Playoff 2.
Is Italy Still Not Qualified?
Italy, a four-time world champion, hasn’t qualified since 2014. Yet the Italians — currently twelfth in the rankings — still have a shot at earning a spot this time around. Several teams this week will likely cross their fingers to avoid landing in a group that contains the UEFA Playoff A winner.
Additional Constraints
The draw will proceed with a few extra requirements:
— Each group must contain at least one European team, but no more than two.
— Aside from UEFA (Europe), there cannot be two teams from the same confederation in a single group. The other confederations are AFC (Asia) and CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America) and OFC (Oceania).
(In a quirk of world football, Suriname competes in CONCACAF and Australia is part of the Asian confederation, while New Zealand belongs to Oceania.)
Possible Groups
Although the pots are largely arranged in descending order of FIFA ranking, there are still many permutations for how challenging a group could be, especially since Pot 4 could feature a traditional powerhouse like Italy or a debutant such as Curaçao.
Argentina, Morocco, Norway and Italy — if they make it — could form a particularly tough group.
Canada, Austria, South Africa and New Zealand would make up a bracket that is somewhat less daunting.
When Will the Match Schedule Be Known?
The full reveal of venues and match times is scheduled for Saturday, though the dates for the three hosts have already been announced.
Canada: June 12 (Toronto), June 18 (Vancouver) and June 24 (Vancouver).
Mexico: June 11 (Mexico City), June 18 (Guadalajara) and June 24 (Mexico City).
United States: June 12 (Los Angeles), June 19 (Seattle) and June 25 (Los Angeles).
